Ghana and Italy have renewed their commitment to strengthen cooperation in education following a high-level bilateral meeting between Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, and the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Laura Ranalli.
The meeting, hosted at the Ambassador’s residence held in Accra on Monday, June 8, 2026, brought together senior officials and academic leaders from both countries to explore expanded collaboration in tertiary education, TVET, research, innovation, scholarships, and student exchange programmes.
Mr. Iddrisu reaffirmed the government’s readiness to support structured partnerships between Italian and Ghanaian universities, stressing that all collaborations would be guided by proper regulatory and accreditation frameworks, with GTEC playing a central quality assurance role.
He also revealed plans to establish a dedicated TVET Fund to strengthen technical and vocational training, as well as a policy to expand foreign language education in senior high schools, including Italian, German, Spanish, and Chinese, to improve global competitiveness among students.
Professor Daniela Mapelli of the University of Padua highlighted the University’s strong interest in internationalisation, especially student and PhD exchange programmes, and expressed readiness to deepen ties with Ghanaian institutions.
She noted an existing partnership with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and signaled interest in expanding collaborations within the African Research Universities Alliance, including the University of Ghana.
The Minister encouraged broader engagement with institutions such as the University of Cape Coast and the University of Mines and Technology, depending on academic focus areas, and urged the Italian side to consult GTEC’s database for guidance on Ghana’s university system.
He further called for formal communication of scholarship opportunities to improve access for Ghanaian students and researchers.
The meeting also confirmed plans for an official visit to Ghana by Italy’s Minister for Education in August 2026, aimed at advancing discussions on long-term academic cooperation.
Italy’s delegation included Professor Daniela Mapelli of the University of Padua, who made history in 2021 as the institution’s first female rector in over 800 years. She was accompanied by other Italian education representatives.
The Ghanaian delegation featured officials from the Ministry of Education Ghana and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, including Chief Director Mrs. Lydia Essuah, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, Ms. Matilda Azuimah, and Mr. Jerry Sarfo.
The engagement underscores growing Ghana–Italy educational relations and a shared commitment to advancing research, innovation, and skills development for mutual benefit.
